Developing Youth Worker Skills, Transforming Lives
Our Youth Worker Toolkit helps you engage and support young people with tools aligned to our eight core competencies of youth work excellence. They build trust and help form meaningful relationships.
Exclusively available to Full Access YIPA Members through our LMS, the tools are designed for direct use with young people, creating a collaborative environment that fosters growth for both you and the young people you support.
Take the Next Step!
Our Youth Worker Toolkit is more than a collection of valuable resources, it’s a reflection of our commitment to empowering you in your support of our young people.
For a well-around approach to youth work, we have created five distinct tool types for you:
- Awareness Tools: Encourage young people to explore their values, relationships, and identities to foster self-discovery and growth.
- Skill Development Tools: Build essential life skills and practice real-world scenarios that prepare young people for success.
- Learning Tools: Provide young people with information and insights that empower them to make informed decisions.
- Discussion Tools: Facilitate open-ended, collaborative conversations that build trust and connection.
- Interactive Tool: Engage young people with hands-on activities and visual aids that make learning accessible and impactful.
Available Tools - 12 New Tools Added Each Year
Support Network Bullseye
Tool Type: Interactive
Competency: The Field of Youth Work
As a youth worker, your role in a young person’s support network is vital. You’re not just someone who provides guidance, you’re someone who listens, encourages, and helps them navigate challenges. This tool will help young people recognize the connections in their lives and understand the value of their support system.
What My Support Means for You
Tool Type: Discussion
Competency: The Field of Youth Work
Having an open conversation about what youth work is helps young people understand how it benefits them and the value of your role in their lives. By showing them how youth work aligns with their needs and dreams, you empower them to actively shape their future.
Developmental Milestones Guide
Tool Type: Discussion
Competency: Youth Development
YIPA’s Developmental Milestones Guide is a tool you can use to help young people understand typical growth stages and what they might experience as they develop. By breaking down milestones into key areas you can guide young people through their growth and strengthen your relationships.
Explaining Social and Emotional Skills
Tool Type: Discussion
Competency: Youth Development
This youth worker tool provides a structured guide to help you teach young people about social-emotional skills, why they’re important, and how they apply to their lives. By using real-life examples and open-ended questions, you can foster meaningful conversations and empower young people to build these vital skills.
Better Relationships Through Active Listening
Tool Type: Skill Development
Competency: Communications
Listening is a powerful way to show you care—it tells someone their voice matters.
For young people, good listening builds trust, deepens relationships, and eases conflict. You can model this skill by practicing active listening and creating a safe space to grow.
For young people, good listening builds trust, deepens relationships, and eases conflict. You can model this skill by practicing active listening and creating a safe space to grow.
Communication Styles Assessment
Tool Type: Awareness
Competency: Communications
This tool helps young people identify their communication style, recognize how it impacts their interactions, and learn how to adapt when needed. By working through this assessment and discussion guide, you can help young people develop self-awareness and improve their communication skills.
Exploring Ethical Dilemmas
Tool Type: Skill Development
Competency: Ethics
Ethical dilemmas are part of everyday life, and helping young people think critically about them supports their growth into thoughtful, responsible individuals. This tool uses relatable ethical dilemma scenarios to spark meaningful conversations about fairness, honesty, and the impact of decisions on others.
Personal Values Worksheet
Tool Type: Interactive
Competency: Ethics
This tool is designed to help you spark meaningful conversations with young people about their values. By guiding them to reflect on what’s most important to them, you can help them see how their values influence their daily actions. Reflecting on their values will help them gain clarity and develop skills to navigate ethical challenges.
Cultural Reflection Questionnaire
Tool Type: Awareness
Competency: Intercultural Engagement
When young people understand their own values and traditions, they can engage with others' cultures with empathy and curiosity. Exploring their heritage helps them recognize shared human experiences and celebrate differences fostering deeper connections and a more inclusive community.
Fostering Inclusive Behavior
Tool Type: Skill Development
Competency: Intercultural Engagement
This tool helps you guide young people in recognizing biases and building inclusion skills. Biases shape how we treat others and view the world, whether subtle or obvious. Through guided reflection, young people examine assumptions, challenge stereotypes, and practice inclusive responses.
Behavior and Outcome Chart
Tool Type: Interactive
Competency: Behavioral Intervention
This tool helps young people reflect on behaviors, recognize patterns, and understand how their decisions impact themselves and others. By connecting actions to consequences, it fosters accountability and self-awareness. It empowers them to explore healthier choices and take control of their decisions.
Emotion-Behavior Connection Map
Tool Type: Interactive
Competency: Behavioral Intervention
Our emotions often shape how we act. For young people, strong emotions can lead to automatic reactions that aren’t always helpful. This tool helps them reflect on their actions and explore healthier alternatives, fostering emotional awareness and self-regulation.
Challenging Misconceptions About At-Risk Behaviors
Tool Type: Learning
Competency: At-Risk Behaviors
This activity helps young people explore myths about risky behaviors and compare them to reality. By addressing misconceptions, it encourages critical thinking about the beliefs they hold. This empowers them to resist peer pressure and make informed, values-based decisions.
Connecting Today’s Choices to Your Future
Tool Type: Learning
Competency: At-Risk Behaviors
This tool facilitates meaningful discussions, encouraging young people to reflect on their goals, identify obstacles, and explore strategies to overcome challenges. By focusing on how their choices impact progress, you empower them to make thoughtful decisions that align with the life they want to build.
Six Things To Know About Anxiety
Tool Type: Discussion
Competency: Mental Health Basics
Our infographic gives you a supportive tool to help introduce and normalize conversations about anxiety. You’ll be equipped to help young people feel more understood and less alone. It’s important for you to approach the topic sensitively, as anxiety can feel overwhelming or even embarrassing for young people to discuss.
Six Things to Know About Depression
Tool Type: Discussion
Competency: Mental Health Basics
Our infographic gives you a supportive tool to help introduce and normalize conversations about anxiety. You’ll be equipped to help young people feel more understood and less alone. It’s important for you to approach the topic sensitively, as anxiety can feel overwhelming or even embarrassing for young people to discuss.